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House Party

The Party
The final curtain found the audience on its feet, loudly cheering as the cast members of Side Show—the provocative Broadway hit reimagined by an A-list team for the La Jolla Playhouse—took their opening night bows.

The Scene
Stepping out under a star-filled sky, theatergoers clustered together to marvel over the production’s technical wizardry. The real-life story of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, vaudeville stars in the 1930s, Side Show featured dazzling costumes by Tony-nominated designer Paul Tazewell that literally joined actresses Emily Padgett and Erin Davie at the hip. Other special effects that drew audible gasps from the audience came courtesy of Bill Condon’s direction: The Academy Award-winning screenwriter (Gods and Monsters) and director (Chicago, Dreamgirls) gave the stage show a cinematic edge to complement Henry Krieger’s (Dreamgirls) music, including five new songs written expressly for this Playhouse production.

The Highlights
Patrons joined the cast and crew for a circus-themed after-party where Pamplemousse Grille served up delectable paella. Gravity-defying aerialists swooped overhead, capping an evening of spellbinding theatrics. –Photography by Daniel Norwood Photography